Japan and South Korea have one of the most difficult relationships between partners in the modern international system. But recent meeting between the South Korean President and the Japanese Prime Minister has raised hopes that the two countries may finally be about to open a new chapter in the relations. But as others have pointed out, their history is littered with similar "new starts." So, is this really different?
The novel coronavirus caught many world leaders unprepared, despite consistent warnings that a global pandemic was inevitable. And it has revealed the flaws in a global health architecture headed by the World Health Organization, which had already been faulted for its response to the 2014 Ebola pandemic in West Africa. Will there be an overhaul of the WHO when the pandemic is over?
The coronavirus pandemic has upended life as we know it with its devastating effects on health and domestic economies, but also multilateral trade, cooperation and aid. Among the victims of COVID-19 might be the multilateral system that has helped to ensure peace and coordinate global responses to challenges that cut across borders.
